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AEL/BEF 667 Multicultural and Social Education for Leadership Personnel Summer 2011
Meeting Dates: July, 8-9; 22-23; 29-30
Aug.
5-6
Instructor: John Petrovic, PhD Telephone: 205 348 0465 Office: 323 Graves Hall E-mail: petrovic@bamaed.ua.edu
I. Catalogue Description:
An advanced inquiry into contemporary social and
cultural dimensions of education and their relationships to leadership. Includes
issues of diversity, gender, ethnicity, pluralism, and equality. II. Full Course Description: Despite
several seemingly progressive reforms that have attempted to challenge the
functionalist and technical-rationalist thought structures that have dominated
educational leadership models in previous years, educational institutions
continue to foster the production of "docile bodies" and continue
to offer an inadequate response to the critical challenge of social
difference along the axes of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability.
This is especially true in the current context of transnational capitalism,
where educational administrators are generally urged to turn to either
business and/or military models of leadership. In such contexts, issues of
accountability and discipline dominate, and are closely tied to the narrow
economic concerns of efficiency, productivity, and profits. As a result,
educational policy often manifests itself through popular catchwords like
"effective school research," "safe schools,"
"accountability standards," and "decentralized
administration" - policies that sometimes ignore difference and/or are
enacted at the expense of difference. The theoretical and structural
frameworks that drive us to ignore difference must, then, also undermine our
ability to promote democratic schooling. In this
course we will offer a critique of the traditional knowledge base in
educational administration from a number of theoretical perspectives,
including poststructuralism, feminism, marxism, and queer theory. Each of these theoretical
frameworks has offered a critique of the essentialist and foundational
elements of the knowledge base in educational leadership. Arguing that
"foundational knowledges" have
historically suppressed "different voices," these perspectives have
foregrounded these silenced voices, and have
disrupted business as usual. In the context of multicultural education, these
perspectives urge us to move beyond the usual platitudes of tolerating
difference, affirming diversity, and "getting along" to raise more
fundamental philosophical and political questions regarding social and
cultural difference and its relationship to educational leadership. In other
words, we must move to thicker conceptions of democratic education. Specifically,
this course will raise the following questions regarding leadership decisions
amidst the social and cultural contestations that occur in educational
institutions (universities, colleges, schools): Whose cultural values are
propagated in educational institutions? What is the political process by
which certain cultural values are upheld and others are dismissed or rendered
invisible? What role do culture and difference play in the construction of
the oppressive binary of Self v. Other? What role does
education in a capitalist society play in reproducing and maintaining the
oppressive structures that support exploitation and inequality even in
democratic societies? And most importantly, what implications does a critical
understanding of culture have for educational leaders as they struggle to
support socially just educational practices in the university, colleges, and
schools that they lead? III. Course Objectives: On completion of this course, class participants
should: ·
Have a general understanding of the
theoretical and interpretive frameworks that have been utilized to examine
culture and difference in multicultural contexts. ·
Have a critical understanding of
the major issues confronting educational leaders in a diverse society ·
Be able to re-conceptualize what a
truly democratic education means in the context of educational policy in a
diverse society ·
Be able to generate pedagogical and
administrative policies and practices that will ensure that educational
contexts are truly spaces of social justice for all students. · Be able to engage critically with traditional theories of “effective” school leadership. · IV. Required Reading:
Required Texts:
Ayers, R. and Ayers, W. (2011). Teaching the taboo: Courage and
imagination in the classroom. New York: Teachers College Press. Jenlink, P. M. (Ed.) (2009). Equity issues
for today’s educational leaders: Meeting the challenge of creating equitable
schools for all. New York: Rowman and Littlefield
Publishers.
The individual articles listed under the “course schedule” (section VIII) are available for electronic download and printing by clicking on the author’s name. You are required to read all of the individual articles listed for each week of class as assigned.
V. Course Requirements:
1. Reading and class participation: This course will, hopefully, be a discussion-intensive
course. In order to participate meaningfully in class discussion, you are
expected to have completed all of the readings assigned for the week. You
will be expected to share your own critical perspective on the readings in
the course. You will be expected to participate in both class and small group
activities. 2.
Two analytical papers. You will
write two papers that address in an integrated fashion one of prompts below.
The first paper will draw on the readings and discussions from weeks 1 and 2.
The second paper will draw on the readings and discussions from weeks 3 and
4. While you will be the judge as to when you think you have completed
written assignments, I anticipate that you will need at least 7 pages to do
them adequately. Please do not exceed 12 pages. Prompt
Options for Analytical Papers: a.
Provide an integrated summary of the Taboo chapters that more thoroughly
fleshes out the theoretical underpinnings that Ayers and Ayers tend to gloss
over and expands upon the practical implications. (This might take the form
of an essay review.) or b.
Address the reading questions in an integrated way that makes a coherent and
theoretically founded argument regarding the nature and purpose of
educational leadership in a diverse society vis-à-vis the issues of the units
under discussion. 3.
Research presentation (doctoral students only). Present a research article to
the class. You should identify the problem and the research question; and,
discuss the conceptual framework, methods, and findings. Grading Rubric for Written
Assignments
Generally,
each criterion will be marked on a ten point scale as follows: 10-9 =
excellent, 9-8 = good, 8-6 = average/satisfactory, 5-4 = unsatisfactory, but
effort made, 3-0 = I promise never to turn in a paper like this again VI. Grading:
You will be graded on a 100 point scale distributed as follows:
· Class participation 20 points · Analytic paper #1 40 points · Analytic paper #2 40 points
100-90 A; 89-80 B; and so on…
VII. Course Policies:
· Attendance: Given that we will only meet on eight days and that the course is discussion intensive, class attendance is mandatory. If you believe that you will need to miss more than one Saturday or more than two Fridays, it may be in your best interest to take the class in a different semester. Every three hours of absence beyond the first six will result in your grade being lowered by a full letter.
·
Discussion Participation: My intent in this class is to turn the tables
so to speak on a variety of issues. My purpose is not to present you with ways
of thinking you are comfortable with, but with ways that challenge and even
clash with traditional ideals. This sort of provocative engagement requires
us to be able to deal honestly, respectfully, and at the same time critically
with the subject matter and contesting points of view. On any disagreements
about any standpoint, each speaker should take responsibility for his/her
critical position and personal opinion and be able to distinguish between the
two. Our general rules of engagement will be as follow: 1.
Never take what someone says as his/her last or final word on the subject.
After all, change and progress is what education is about.
2.
Attack ideas, not people. (Don’t be confused by the continued use of the word
“critical” in this syllabus. The lay use of this word has negative
connotations. In this vein, beginning a response with a phrase like “It is
ludicrous…” is critical. However, that is not how we are using “critical.”) 3.
Don't get defensive when #2 happens to you. 4.
Don't feel obligated to say things like, "Maybe I'm wrong but..."
or "Playing devil's advocate..." Usually people hide behind such
phrases so that others won't think that they are thinking what they are thinking.
You're saying it, so you must be thinking it. If you are thinking it, it is
likely you believe there is some truth to it. This makes it worthy of
sharing, without qualification, for discussion. Remember, we are still
playing by rule number 1. · Submission of assignments: All written work should be word-processed, double-spaced, have 11 or 12 point font, and follow APA style for references and citations. All written assignments are due by noon on August 9. Extensions may be requested.
· Academic honesty: I read all assignments thoroughly. Quotation marks should be used if the material is copied directly from the readings and text citations should be used. Quotations are followed by the author, year, and page number in parenthesis of the source of the quote (Petrovic, 1998, p. 15). If you paraphrase something, you put just the author and year after the paraphrased material (Petrovic, 1998). You will be in violation of The University of Alabama policies if you fail to follow standard referencing rules. Submitting work done for another class, submitting someone else’s work as your own, copying and pasting from the internet, are all violations. (Internet sources may be used, but you must follow standard referencing rules.) The consequence for plagiarism is a zero on the given assignment and referral to the Associate Dean for any further action she might wish to take. Rewriting such assignments is not an option. Please see the College of Education statement on plagiarism for more information.
· Statement of Equal Treatment and Disabilities. The instructor and students in this course will act with integrity and strive to engage in equitable behavior with respect to differences arising from age, gender and gender expression, race, physical ability, religious preferences, sexual orientation, and national origin. If you are registered with the Office of Disability Services, make an appointment with the instructor as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary to assure your full participation in the class. If you have a disability but have not contacted the Office of Disability Services, please call 354-5175 or visit Osband Hall to register for services.
VIII. Course Schedule:
WEEKEND I, July 8-9
Please consider the following
questions as you read: Read from Taboo (Intro, Chs. 1, 5, 7, 9, and coda) and Equity Issues (Chs. 1, 2, 9) and the following:
WEEKEND
2, July 22-23
What are the political, social,
and cultural effects of organizing difference along the rubric of race and
class? What are the implications of seeing "whiteness" as property?
How are educational policy and practice implicated in the reproduction of
such politics?
WEEKEND 3, July 29-30
What role
does administrative culture play in the policing of sexual difference? Read from Taboo (Chs. 3, 4, & 6)
and Equity Issues (Ch. 3) and the following:
FILMS:
Tough Guise, It’s Elementary, or Stage Beauty
WEEKEND 4, Aug. 5-6
Film: Cultural criticism & transformation and/or Race: A floating signifier
An essay-review is a book review that
develops a thesis linking the book under consideration to the field. The
review also provides an examination of the book’s strengths and weaknesses to
support that thesis. For the purposes of this course, your thesis should
emerge from the course readings, which will allow you to not only “examine”
but to critique. Some questions to consider in writing such a review include:
What are the assumptions the authors of the book make? 2. What is
their philosophical or conceptual framework? Is it stated? If not, what do
you think is the implicit framework? Is it adequate? 3. Does the book help
educational leaders break the functionalist/technical-rationalist mold? 4.
What is the position taken in the book, either implicitly or explicitly, as
regards multiculturalism? The Harvard Education Review, lists
some other questions to consider in developing a good essay review including
the following: -Does
the review convey the content of the book, the author's approach to the
subject, and the author's conclusions? The best reviews avoid a
chapter-by-chapter listing of themes in favor of a more integrated approach. -Does
the review place the work in the context of its field and give a sense of the
work's significance? -Does the
review present a balanced analysis of the book's strengths and weaknesses and
illustrate those points with examples? -Is the review written in a clear and lively style? The question of style is hard to define, but the best reviews illustrate that elusive quality which makes a piece both interesting and engaging.
If you
choose to approach your assignment thusly, I can provide you examples of good
and bad book reviews.
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